Thursday, 29 March 2012

Beth Revis - Author Interview

I've been lucky enough to send some questions to Beth Revis to answer, and she has very kindly taken the time out to answer them for us! :D So here's a quick little interview with Beth, author of the 2 great books Across The Universe and A Million Suns *review of which can be found if you click the link*.

1. What sort of things influence your writing; can you for example concentrate with music in the background, do you need silence, is there a set mood that suits you?

Usually, I can write anywhere, under any circumstances. But if I'm entering "the zone," I get really focused. I either want complete silence, or I listen to the same couple of songs on repeat, over and over. A few of the songs I've listened to while writing SHADES OF EARTH have more than 800 plays on my iTunes!

2. What's the best, worst, easiest and hardest part about writing?

Best: There are moments when writing that I realize something is magical about the words. The culmination of a scene, a turn of phrase that catches me by surprise, things like that. I never know when it will hit, but when it does, it takes my breath away.

Worst: There is no worst part about it. I honestly love it all.

Easiest: The first draft. I love getting the story developed. At this point, it's all fun, like putting together a puzzle from a picture in my mind. I also have a fondness for marketing. I'm sure I bug the marketing department way too much!

Hardest: Editing. Not the actual editing process, but the moment when I have to admit that what I've written so far is wrong, and I need to re-think and rewrite. Once I get to that "acceptance" stage where I can objectively see what's wrong, I get excited about it again.

3. When you read Across The Universe for yourself for the first time after being published, how did you feel?

Um...actually... *whispers* I've not read the book since it was published!

I *tried*! But I couldn't do it. The first thing I did was try to listen to the audiobook. But, while I love the voice actors, they did not speak with the same voice as the voice in my head, and I couldn't handle it.

Then I tried to read the print version. I had an idea to make an annotated copy of the book for myself. But I never made it past the first chapter. I think I'm too close to the books right now...maybe I'll be able to read it in a few years!

4. If you didn't go into writing, what other career path would you have chosen?

I would be a teacher. I actually worked as a teacher for six years before I got published. I started the job with the expectation of it being a short-time gig, but I ended up loving it so much that when I quit, I cried for a week!

5. What's your opinion on the print vs e-book argument?

I don't think it's a matter of "versus." I have both an ebook reader and three floor to ceiling books that are double-stacked. I love stories--I don't care how they're told. Some books I prefer in ebook format (such as really long books that are heavy to hold up, like Game of Thrones!), and some I want a hard copy of. A story's a story, no matter the format.

6. What's your favourite book?

My absolute favorite book of all time is probably THE SILVER CHAIR, one of the books in The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis.

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So there we go! Some great answers from a great author :)

Don't forget to check out my review of her second book, A Million Suns *review of which can be found if you click the link*.